Educated candidates seek party tickets for PCMC elections

Elections to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are round the corner and, unlike in the past, educated candidates from all spheres of life are making a beeline to seek party tickets to contest the elections in the twin township.

A battery of doctors, engineers, lawyers, retired government officials and industrialists have expressed their desire to contest the civic elections. Most of the educated people have expressed their desire to fight the elections on a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ticket.

This is in sharp contrast to the scenario in 2007, when the erstwhile mayor of the twin township, Dr Vaishali Ghodekar, was the only doctor desirous of contesting the civic polls.

This year, besides Ghodekar, Dr Rohidas Alhat and Dr Omprakash Patil are also seeking to contest the polls from Bhosari and Dighi areas, respectively. Dr Kamrunissa Khan and the NCP’s doctors’ cell president, Dr Shyam Ahirrao, have also sought NCP tickets.

From the legal field, advocates Urmila Kalbhor, Nitin Landge, Kiran Pawar, Sandeep Chinchwade and Suhas Padwal have sought tickets from various wards.

Retired PCMC chief medical officer, Dr Nagkumar Kunchagi, has applied for an NCP ticket from Ajmera Colony. PCMC engineering department spokesperson Dilip Kudale, who had recently resigned from service, wants to contest the civic polls from Pimpri Gaon.

Former education board officer of the PCMC, Sudhakar Tambe, is also entering politics for the first time.

Among industrialists, the president of Pimpri-Chinchwad Small Industries Association, Suresh Mehtre, vice-president Sandeep Belsare and treasurer Sanjay Jagtap have filled up forms and are on the campaign trail now.

Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd’s employee union’s general secretary Arun Borhade, Hind Kamgar Sanghtana president Kailas Kadam, Tata Motors employee union’s former general secretary Eknath Pawar and Thermax employee union’s president Keshav Gholve are also knocking on the doors of various political parties.

The citizens are also welcoming the entry of white-collared aspirants in politics. Nigdi-Pradhikaran resident and mechanical engineer Vishakha Garade told DNA, “There is a need for educated people to enter politics. It will encourage people to cast their votes. Most voters avoid exercising their right, as they do not find any candidate suitable.”